Chicken breasts are slow cooked in an über flavorful Asian sauce with all the usual suspects like soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic and on and on. The chicken is then shredded in the sauce (my mouth is watering as I type this) and piled high on toasted sesame seed buns. The carrot slaw is so, so easy to make and cuts through the rich sauce with a lovely fresh, crunchy bite.

Shredded carrots (buy the already shredded packs in the produce section), spring onions and red chili peppers are pickled in a rice vinegar honey that is not only delicious on this sandwich, I would say it would be amazing on just about any sandwich. You can serve it as you would coleslaw as a side for any fish or meat dishes.

There is no need to go through a full canning process for the slaw because this slaw is not destined for long-term storage as it is getting used on the sandwiches and I only recommend keeping it in a sealed jar, refrigerated for 2 or 3 days.

I love to break out my slow cooker in the warm weather because it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. They are also perfect for busy weeknights, just set it and forget it. The pickle can be made days in advance and the chicken cooks while you entertain. The only last minute thing to do is get the buns ready (I like to grill mine for extra flavor) and shred the chicken. The kids will love these!

Yield: 4

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Sandwiches with Pickled Carrot Slaw

Slow cooker Asian chicken sandwiches with pickled carrot slaw are a little sweet, a little salty, with a fresh, slightly spicy kick from the carrot slaw.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time2 hours34 minutes

Total Time2 hours49 minutes

Ingredients

For the slaw:

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

3 cups shredded carrots

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 red chili peppers, thinly sliced

For the sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoon sambal chili sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons corn starch

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

For the slaw:

Add the rice vinegar, water, salt and honey to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Wash jar and lid in very hot soapy water and dry well. To the jar add the shredded carrots, spring onions and chili pepper. Add the vinegar liquid, cover and refrigerate until the chicken is cooked.

For the sauce:

To a bowl add all the ingredients, whisk well to combine.

Turn the slow cooker on. Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker cover with sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.